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Criminals offer “fake” vaccines and anti-vaccines send false vaccination messages. Europol warns that various forms of fraud and calls for surveillance already exist, reports Deutsche Welle.
“We have sent a warning to the EU member states and a call to be very vigilant,” European Police Director Catherine de Ball told the Funke media group. According to her, there is a real danger that criminal groups will try to take advantage of the high demand for vaccines.
There have already been cases of vaccine offer that have not been delivered after payment. As well as the cases of counterfeit preparations. De Ball also said that vaccine ads have already been spotted on social media.
At the same time, the director of Europol warned that it is possible to try to steal vaccines during transport, but stressed that special cooperation has been organized within the EU for the protection of transport.
Frauds under the proven scheme
Phone scammers have already identified the “potential” of vaccines and, for example, in Bonn, they have offered a 64-year-old woman a “coronavirus immunization package” for 6,000 euros. However, the woman was suspicious of the cheating, apparently agreed to the deal and called the police. A little later, a 51-year-old man rang his doorbell to take the money. The woman invited him in so that the police could catch him.
In Bonn alone, there are eight known cases of this type of fraud and, according to the police, this fraud attempt is already a fact throughout Germany; in most cases, the calls were from foreign call centers. The scammers pretended to be employees of health insurance funds, doctor’s offices, or pharmaceutical companies and offered a vaccine for a fee.
In the city of Emden, in the state of Lower Saxony, the scammers tried to sell ten doses of the vaccine to a 93-year-old woman over the phone. In Friedberg, Bavaria, an 88-year-old man received a call and was told that he had been chosen to be vaccinated but that he had to pay 499 euros in advance.
On this occasion, the president of the German Foundation for Patient Protection, Eugen Brich, pointed out that vaccines are generally free. “Beware of scammers knocking on your door and pretending to be a mobile immunization team. No one will come to your home without an appointment for vaccination,” he said. At the same time, Bonn police warn that if someone offers a vaccination over the phone, the police must be notified immediately.
“Only sleeping sheep can be vaccinated”
Criminals are trying to take advantage of not only vaccines, but rapid coronavirus tests as well: the tests have now been smuggled into Germany and are now being sold illegally, including in supermarkets and gas stations. The tests are generally safe, but if they are performed by a non-professional, there is a danger that the result will be negative without them.
Among other things, the police discovered that false letters were being sent, for example, with a specific time for the vaccination. The letters not only had the precise address, but the health service was also registered as the sender. These letters contained a QR code, and after scanning it with a smartphone the following inscription appeared, apparently the work of anti-vaxers: “Only sleeping sheep are left to be vaccinated and assume the role of guinea pigs for pharmaceutical companies.”
